Will You Come Out Already?
by Little Donkey
Summary: Sequel to Wilful Fortnight. Three years later, Ritsu finally has had enough on how comfortable Mio seems to be in her tight-knit closet.


**Title**: Will You Come Out Already?**  
Pairing(s)**: Mio/Ritsu**  
Rating**: M [Sex, crude language and uh … oh, suggestive themes?]**  
Summary**: Sequel to _Wilful Fortnight_. Three years later, Ritsu finally has had enough on how comfortable Mio seems to be in her tight-knit closet.**  
Notes**: There was a more fluffy and humorous version of this (It had more Nagae and Yoshie, and the latter is a joy to write about—she's like a mix of Ritsu and Yui). But then I thought, _Hey, let's put in some drama (and smut),_ so here you go. Making all the titles linked to this 'world' beginning with W makes it easier to distinguish it from the A world doesn't it?

But look out for some people in the A world making an appearance! :D

This is seriously the last part.

**Language note**: _Kanojo_ is the pronoun for 'she/her'. It's also a noun: girlfriend. You won't be seeing the Japanese word in the fic. I'm just noting you guys of its nuances. Maybe this way you don't need to scroll up.

**Warning: See the rating? And the comment? Yeah. Don't go crying I didn't warn yer, 'cause I did. Twice.**

ooooo

"Oi! Are we eating out tonight?"

Mio steps back inside and watches an undressed Ritsu, with a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, in the middle of the living room. "Did you forget about the gig?"

Ritsu stares back. Her eyes are still rugged with sleep. When she sees Mio getting impatient, she finally remembers. "Oh. It's at the usual place, right?" Mio nods at the gibberish. "I'll drop by then."

"Okay. See you." Mio is about to step outside again. But she hesitates and, closing the door, lopes towards Ritsu to kiss her on the cheek. "Take care," she whispers, and then she's gone.

Ritsu continues to stand in the middle of the room, imagining what food there would be at the after party. Something wet drops onto her chest and she snaps back to reality. She darts back to the bathroom with hands spread out below her chin, knowing Mio would rage if she spotted a splotch on the carpet again.

But with the way Mio is currently juggling a job and _two_ bands in her schedule, Ritsu reassures herself that Mio wouldn't have the time to look what's beneath her feet at home.

ooo

Ritsu leans over the table and punches Yamamoto Noriyuki on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm right aren't I?" Noriyuki says, laughing.

"Meh."

"Lazy ass," he sneers.

"I'm already in a band! How am I lazy?"

Shintani Ken settles his glass onto the table and leans forward. He steeples his hands and says, "You're always here when Akiyama plays with us. So why don't you join for a bit? It can't be schedule conflicts or—"

"Laziness," Noriyuki interrupts, "It's laziness."

Ritsu shrugs it off. She hums and thinks it over.

Ken turns to Mio. "Why don't you persuade her?"

Ritsu also turns to Mio. "You're in this too?" she asks in surprise.

Mio's eyes flick from Ken to Ritsu multiple times. "What? No I'm not. Don't pull me in out of nowhere! You don't need to if you don't want to. We can find someone else."

"Huuh. So your drummer really is out."

"I told you already!" Noriyuki exclaims.

"Didn't believe you."

"Ow, that hurt."

"Hey guys," comes a voice that doesn't belong to the four. "Can we join you?"

Ken, Noriyuki and Ritsu look up. Mio's eyes are trained on her glass of milkshake and she pretends that three people haven't suddenly appeared.

Ken does an exaggerated onceover at their four seated table and looks back at the woman who requested. Just as he's about to answer, the second woman cuts him off, "There's a free table over there. Eight seats."

Noriyuki waves them away. "Sorry, this table is for friends only."

The third person, a man, imitates Ken's past actions but he isn't cut off. "Which means you're all available, right?" he asks, openly eyeing Mio. "Since you're all friends." He misses the responding glare from the brunette at Mio's side and continues, "Let us join. The more the merrier. We'll even pay your next rounds."

Noriyuki brightens up. "Whoa, really? That's—" he suddenly doubles over, spitting out curses.

"Sorry," Ken says, "Thanks for the offer though. But we're not planning to get ourselves drunk. Since it's a workday tomorrow, you know?"

"That's okay," the first woman says, "We'll catch you guys on Friday then. Ta ta!"

Ken gapes as the three sweep out of the restaurant with wide smiles, missing the rest of his refusals.

Noriyuki shoves Ken almost off his seat. "We were gonna get free drinks! Why the fuck did you do that for? !"

"Saving your ass from being fired, that's what," Ken hisses, giving a good shove back. Unlike him, Noriyuki lands on the floor. "You're tipsy already!"

"Your fans sure are friendly," Ritsu remarks, sniggering as the fallen man gruntingly picks himself up, "They even know when your next show is. Next, they'll stalk you."

"Ritsu," Mio says, "we announced it just an hour ago. It'd be weird if they didn't know. I don't see how that could evolve into stalking."

Ritsu makes a face at Mio. "He was looking at you."

"Who?"

"That guy just then."

Mio looks over her shoulder, towards the doors, and looks back. Unnecessarily. "The one that just left?"

Noriyuki smirks. "Why? You interested in him, Akiyama?"

"What? No."

Ritsu grins. "She's not even interested in—ow!"

The two men blink at Ritsu.

"Nothing," Ritsu gasps out. "It's nothing."

ooo

"Mio."

Mio doesn't open her eyes. "What?"

"It's cold over here."

"So?"

Ritsu puts on her best voice. "Can I sleep next to you please?"

"…Hmm."

"Is that a yes?"

"Hm."

Ritsu smiles. She sits up, squints in the darkness and crawls out of her futon and over to Mio's. Mio's body stays still as Ritsu lifts up one end of the blanket, letting in a draught. She continues to stay still as Ritsu wriggles around, her cold feet touching against hers.

Ritsu sighs quietly. "Look, I'm sorry Mio. I'll stop it. I'll let you tell them your own way."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You said the same thing a month ago."

There's a pause before Ritsu replies, "I mean it this time."

Mio finally moves and wraps an arm around Ritsu's waist. She doesn't say anything else, and Ritsu finds the touch to be warm and cold.

ooo

Definitely cold.

It's Friday and Ritsu's just finished a long, stressful day at work. She stands at the double doors of the restaurant, vacillating if she should enter or not. And she feels sick when she realises she's actually enjoying how uncomfortable Mio seems to be. The woman is sitting next to someone Ritsu doesn't look twice at, and it's as if Mio's calling for help without speaking.

The next time Mio searchingly spins around, her eyes meet Ritsu's. She abruptly stands up but stops.

Ritsu hastily turns around and shoves her way for home.

ooo

"Rit—"

"Enjoyed your dinner?" Ritsu asks, sprawled out on their couch.

Mio opens her mouth again. She interrupts herself.

Ritsu bites her cheek and looks out of the window. She wonders if she should keep going with the charade when the steam had already disappeared the moment she was home.

"Ritsu," Mio tries again, "I told the guy. He understands, he—"

"What did you tell him?"

"That I already have someone," she says, giving a crooked smile.

Ritsu curses her peripherals for undoing her. She sighs. "Where were the two girls? I didn't see them."

"It's because, well…."

Ritsu feels the heated emotions start to return. _It'd better not be another sad excuse_, she decides. "Well…?"

"They were there at the start. But Shintani got angry when the girls started asking him for makeup tips. So they left."

Ritsu raises an eyebrow and tries not to laugh. "Why the hell would they ask him for makeup tips?"

"They're together," Mio bursts out.

"Huh?"

"Shintani and Yamamoto."

"Yeah?"

"They're together," Mio repeats.

Ritsu raises the other eyebrow. "They're best-friends-with-each-other's-asses together, or—"

"That one. And do you mind not being so crude?"

Ritsu completely ignores the window now. "Really? ! Then why don't you just tell them? Say, _I'm best friends with Ritsu's_—"

Mio's hands dart out, smothering the brunette's mouth. Ritsu struggles. Several more indecent words slip out and Mio presses harder. She pulls back when she feels moisture against her palm. "Ritsu!" she screeches.

Ritsu gives her an indignant glare. "You were covering my nose! I couldn't breathe!"

"My hands were nowhere near your nose."

"Liar! They were!"

"How come you weren't gasping for air?"

Ritsu proceeds to do said action. Mio stares at her.

"Okay okay," Ritsu relents. "I just felt like licking—"

She's smacked by a cushion. Ritsu grabs it and pulls it away from Mio's grasp. "No," she says, "I'm serious. Why don't you tell them?"

Mio stays quiet.

"I mean," Ritsu continues, "unless they're complete hypocrites, I don't see the problem."

"I can't say it out of nowhere. I don't want to make a big deal out of it because," Mio pauses when Ritsu's mouth twitches. She backtracks, "Not to say that you're—"

"Nah I get you. You hate me."

"I don't! I meant that—"

Ritsu laughs. "I'm joking, I'm joking. Just say I'm your girlfriend instead, you know, the next time you mention me." She shrugs and adds, "That's all."

Mio seems to ponder over this. Ritsu waits.

"Okay," Mio says finally, shuffling her feet along the carpet, "I'll do that."

Ritsu grins. "Great."

Mio squats and lays a hand on the ground. "Ritsu, why is it so rough and hard here?"

"Uh, do I really need to answer that?"

Mio holds eye contact for a few moments. "No, you don't."

"See. Anyway, I'll scrub it—"

"No sex for a week."

"…What?"

"You heard me."

Ritsu smirks. "That never happens."

Mio's eyebrow arches.

"You can never keep yourself off me," Ritsu explains, "The most you can last is five days."

Mio frowns. "I can last longer than that."

"Oh fine, two weeks. Because you had the flu."

"Good. It's for two weeks then."

Ritsu gapes.

ooo

Mio slathers a generous slop of shampoo onto her palms and proceeds to massage her scalp. Lifting locks of hair as she does so, she makes sure it's entirely covered with foam before she rinses it out. At the corner of her eye, she sees Ritsu stepping into their bathroom. "You have to wait a bit, Ritsu," she says, reaching for the conditioner. "I still haven't—Ritsu?"

She's hugged, and Mio watches, wary of the hands that are just below her breasts. "Ritsu," she warns, "it hasn't even been a week yet."

"Lemme touch your boobs for a bit."

Mio swats them away. "No," she says, blinking when the hands actually retreat. She then feels them on her back, just brushing against her skin. Huffing, she turns around. Her mouth goes dry.

Ritsu's hands are on her chest, sometimes pinching a nipple and gasping, looking at Mio with half-lidded eyes.

Pressing her knees together, Mio asks, "What are you doing?"

"Getting off," Ritsu breathes out.

Mio stares.

"I'm gonna do this every day," Ritsu adds, lowering a hand to her stomach, "in front of you, 'til you give."

Mio deliberately turns away and reaches for the conditioner again. She ignores the whimpers. She tries not to squirm at the throbbing in between her legs and she avoids the mirror.

It's when she hears her name amongst the moans does she forget. She finds herself replacing Ritsu's fingers with her own, rubbing her so feverishly Ritsu's coming and panting a moment later. And as she lays on the cool tiles, reaching for Ritsu's mouth, she half wonders why she continues to bother in curbing her libido.

ooo

"I bumped into Mugi today."

"Really?" Mio murmurs in Ritsu's ear. "How is she?"

"Good as always," is the sure reply. Then there's a pause. "I think." Ritsu laughs softly and snuggles closer. "You know Mugi; she's too good at hiding her problems. She told me she's gonna be busy for a while. Family thing that'll take several months."

Mio takes in Ritsu's warmth. She's secretly glad that the drummer is adamant about one rule: always sleep naked. "So we're gonna take a break?"

"Yeah. So maybe I join you guys 'til Mugi's back."

Mio nods, trying to decide if the feeling in her stomach is cautious joy or recurring anxiety.

ooo

Mio absentmindedly stares after she has tuned her bass. Ken leaves the keyboard alone and warms up on the drums, for it has been a while since he played on them. Noriyuki will half play on his unplugged guitar and half watch Ken. Ready to remark whenever he makes a trivial mistake.

Mio wipes an invisible mark off her instrument and wonders for the umpteenth time, _Should I say it now?_

"Yo Akiyama," Noriyuki calls out. "We're starting now. Ken kinda got the hang of it."

Mio stands up and gets ready. After she has convinced herself that she'll blurt it out after practice, she replies, "Okay."

ooo

It's been half an hour since practice ended and Mio stares at the water bottle in her hands as she thinks.

There's a tingle of the cymbals. Mio looks up to see Ken is idly flicking one of the circular plates with a finger. He turns to her and asks, "Has Tainaka decided yet?"

Mio takes another gulp of water before she speaks. "She … she might join."

She watches Ken raise an eyebrow. "_Might_? That means _no_, right?"

Mio laughs and is glad that she wasn't drinking then. "_Might_ as in that by next week she'll join for sure."

"Awesome."

Noriyuki has gone to fetch some food. So Mio delays it. She doesn't want to repeat herself and, furthermore, she really doesn't want it to sound momentous.

She and Ritsu are together. The whole world doesn't need to know.

ooo

"Have you told them yet?" Ritsu tries to casually ask as she serves Mio a bowl of rice.

Mio sighs. The chopsticks she's holding almost slip out of her hand. "I … I kinda told them."

Ritsu stares at her. "Kinda?" she repeats.

"Shintani asked if you were gonna join."

"Yeah, I am."

Mio smiles. "You are? That's quick. I was thinking it'd be a few days until that."

Ritsu smirks around her cup. "Don't change the topic. So what did you say?"

"I said: she might join."

The smirk fades away. Mio is starting to become unnerved at how serious Ritsu seems to be looking these days. "What's wrong?" Mio asks.

"She might—what the hell, Mio? I didn't mean it literally!"

Mio creases her brow. "I already told you. I don't want to make a big deal of it. I think he got the point anyway."

"…He? Wait, where was Yamamoto?"

Mio's silence stretches a bit too long that Ritsu gets the point.

"So it didn't work."

"I don't see why they have to know," Mio mutters.

When she doesn't receive a reply, she looks across. Ritsu's watching her untouched bowl of rice. Her hand is tangled in brown hair.

"Ritsu."

"When's the next practice?"

Mio's stomach flops in a sickening way. "This Saturday."

"Okay, I'm going with you."

"Oh?"

Ritsu finally lifts her head. She smiles. "Yeah. Wanna see the drums, you know?"

ooo

"Whose house is this?"

Mio leads Ritsu around the side of the residence. "Family friend of Shintani's," she answers. She then points to the garage that is partially hidden by greenery. "He sometimes drops by to watch us practise."

"How old is he?"

"Middle-aged?"

"He's not a pervert, right?"

Mio pulls back some obstructing branches, rolling her eyes. "No, he's not like you."

Suddenly, her hand is snatched and she finds herself several steps back. She almost trips over her feet and manages to avoid the rebound of the branches.

"Where are you guys? !" the drummer yells.

"Ritsu!" Mio hisses, regaining her balance. "What the—"

"Over here!" comes a raspy reply.

"Ritsu," Mio tries again, "what was that for?"

Ritsu shushes her. She continues to hold her hand as they enter the garage.

Noriyuki's beating around on the drums with basic, fluctuant patterns. Mio wonders how long he's been at it, for his face is flushed pink.

"You guys are early," Ken comments. He's sitting on the ground with a guitar in his lap, fiddling with the pegs.

"Mio here," Ritsu says, pulling Mio close to her, "wanted to be early."

The bassist slips her hand from Ritsu's and looks around. She feels Ritsu tense up. "I didn't know you play the guitar," she remarks hastily.

Ken lopsidedly smiles. "I don't. Just mucking around."

"Yo Tainaka," Noriyuki calls out. "Go and check the drums. I'll, uh, be off for a bit. Need to ask the old man 'bout something."

Mio looks over her shoulder when the door's slammed shut. She lifts an eyebrow at Noriyuki's strange behaviour.

"Do ya need to go too?" Ritsu asks Ken.

"What? Nah." There's a humoured pause. "Actually, yeah. Want food? I just ordered pizza."

"Yeah."

The door is slammed again. It seems to set something off in Ritsu because she doubles over in laughter.

"What's going on?" Mio asks, "Why are they leaving us?"

"Is this the first time you came to practice early?" Ritsu manages to say.

Mio blinks as she recalls. "I think so … why?"

Ritsu points towards the window on the door. "I saw them making out."

Mio's jaw drops. "Whaat? In here?"

Ritsu smiles and Mio's pushed back until her heels hit an amplifier. She falls onto the equipment ungracefully and watches Ritsu straddle her lap. She gulps and snaps her head towards the window. No one's there but, "Ritsu, don't."

Ritsu puts her arms around Mio's shoulders. "Why?"

Mio leans back, tightly holding onto the edges of the amplifier. For once, she's glad that it's heavy. "We're not—"

"At home so we can't even hug?" Ritsu finishes with irritation.

"They're gonna come back."

"That's the point."

"Huh?"

Ritsu's head nestles in the crook of her neck. "Actions speak louder than words, right?"

"You said you'll let me do it on my own."

Ritsu softly huffs. "I'm just making it easier for you, Mio. You get tongue-tied a lot. It's a surprise it doesn't happen when you sing. Oh hey, why don't you just sing that you're a—"

"Shut up Ritsu," Mio says, but a smile is tugging at her lips. It's fortunate how Ritsu's forgotten that Mio's skidded away from the hand holding before, but Mio isn't sure a hug would succeed over her previous attempt. It doesn't mean she'll risk her chances and ask for more though.

So Mio lets go of the amplifier and rests her arms on Ritsu's back. After some hesitation, she leans close and breathes in Ritsu's scent, trying to calm her anxiety.

She involuntarily tenses when she hears footsteps. Ritsu must've heard it too because she lifts her head from Mio's neck and hovers before her face. Then she's kissing her.

The next moment, Ritsu's on the floor and Mio's off the amplifier and a few steps away. She tries to catch her breath as she panics.

"I'm back with the—is something wrong?"

Mio swings towards Ken, who's carrying a couple of boxes of pizza and looking befuddled. She hastily shakes her head. "Nothing's wrong."

"My ass it's fucking nothing," Ritsu mutters. She stands up and makes for the door. "I'm off for a walk."

Ken jumps aside, just avoiding a collision with the brunette, and looks at Mio. "Should I ask?" he says after Ritsu is out of earshot.

Mio stares at the ground.

"Want pizza?"

"No thanks," Mio murmurs, "I'm not particularly hungry."

"Okay."

Noriyuki returns soon after and the two men eat whilst Mio watches the window.

They practise and Mio often has to apologise whenever she tunes out. She sees Noriyuki look at her strangely but she doesn't offer any excuses. She ran out of them.

Ritsu doesn't come back from her walk. And when Mio's home, she finds a note at the dining table.

_Going to stay somewhere for a bit._

ooo

Mio wakes up, greets the morning and fills the pot with tea. She tells herself that Ritsu will be home soon. She ignores the fact that Ritsu's five minutes can turn into an hour.

She spends the day doing housework and it's until her stomach rumbles does she realise she's missed lunch. She fixes up dinner for two and settles in front of the TV. She watches and eats.

Ritsu will realise that what she did was too far. She will remember that Mio doesn't like public affection. She will be home soon.

Mio falls asleep on the couch as she waits. The rest of the dinner ends up in the bin, having been spoilt for being left out for too long.

ooo

After Mio returns from work on Monday and finds some of Ritsu's belongings missing, she knows she has really messed it up this time.

She growls and throws her handbag at the couch. Her neck's been in pain all day. So she searches for a packet of heat patches in the cabinets, and she finds that Ritsu's futon is still there. Rolling it out, she falls onto her stomach and tries to relax.

Ritsu should've understood, Mio fumes. She should've known that Mio doesn't like to share details of her personal life.

The apartment continues its silence as the days lag by and then one morning, there's a phone call. Her breakfast almost topples to the floor as she scrambles to snatch up the wireless house phone.

"Ritsu? !"

"Mio?"

Mio's legs buckle and she falls onto her backside. "Hi Mum."

"Just what was that about?"

"Sorry," Mio says, repressing a sigh, "Thought Ritsu was pranking me."

"Oh. Are you doing okay, Mio?"

"Yes. Fine. How about you?"

"I'm fine myself. But I'd be very happy if you were to come home with a certain someone."

Mio sighs this time. "I told you, Mum. He's really busy being a lawyer and all—"

"You're really going to keep on lying to me, aren't you?"

A chill cuts through Mio. "Lying?" she repeats, trying not to stammer. "About what?"

"Takahashi-kun doesn't exist."

Mio's breath catches. "Um, I need to go—"

"Don't you dare hang up!"

"Mum," she says weakly, trembling, "it's work. I got to get to work."

"Call in sick then!" The usually cool voice is cracking up and Mio feels horrible when she realises her mother's in near tears. "When were you planning to tell me?"

Mio bites her lip.

"Instead, I hear it from Ricchan's mother."

"She _told_ you?" Mio then gapes, drowning in dread. She fumbles for a way to back-pedal as the silence stretches.

"She's telling the truth, then?"

Mio swallows thickly. She nods.

"Are you there, Mio?"

Mio sniffs and remembers she's on the phone. "Yes, I'm here." She takes in a staggering breath. "I'm sorry, I … you probably hate me now—"

"That's why you didn't tell me?" She sounds hurt by the implication. "How can I hate my own daughter?"

Wiping her eyes and cheeks, Mio realises that the reaction she's getting is completely not what she expected. "No son-in-law?" she jokes meekly.

There's a hiccup of a laugh at the other end. "Ricchan's really rubbing off on you. Oh dear, I'm crying. Mio, get Ricchan on the phone."

The feeling of elation bursts. "Why?"

"I want to talk to her. Make sure she's taking care of you."

The dread rebounds twice as hard. "She … she isn't home."

"What happened?"

"Fight," Mio mumbles, not wanting to explain further.

"Ah, so that's why you yelled. You two make up and visit next weekend."

"Um … okay." Mio looks at the calendar and wonders if she's dreaming vividly. The grid of numbers looks so realistically clear. "Next weekend … got it. So, I'll see you then?"

"Yes, I'll see you then," her mother firmly replies, and Mio exhales in relief that she hasn't changed her mind. "Oh, and Mio?"

"Yes Mum?"

"Your dad doesn't know yet."

The call ends and the phone's on the floor. After a while, Mio picks it up again to make a call. To work. It's time to listen to her mother, and she's certain that she'd be uselessly lethargic if she did go. There's another practice tonight and she needs some time to recover from the bombshell.

ooo

"You're late," Noriyuki greets.

"Hi to you too," Mio says, fixing the neckline of the shirt she threw on without looking.

"Bad day at work?" Ken asks behind a can of beer. He pushes a stool towards her.

"I didn't go to work."

Noriyuki gasps dramatically. "The world's fucking ending!" He then points at Mio with a chicken drumstick. "Did the boyfriend keep you up all night? You need to—"

Mio tunes out as she tries to recall. "I never told you I had a boyfriend."

"Huh? Didn't you?" Noriyuki says, waving the chicken around. "But you said you weren't single."

Mio sits down on the stool with resignation. She can't reprimand them this time round for delaying the practice. "I'm not. I do have someone."

"You just said you don't have a … you're married?"

Mio feels like thwacking him across the head. "No," she grounds out. "I…." She curses how her larynx has to fail her now and picks up the glass they kindly filled for her. She gulps a mouthful and continues, "I have a girlfriend."

Just as Noriyuki exclaims, "You're a lesbian? !" Ken says, "It's Tainaka, right?"

"You knew? !" was the next simultaneous yell.

Ken shrugs. "I wasn't sure 'til last week. That scene I walked in. Pretty familiar."

Mio blinks. "Eh? Last week?"

"What happened last week?" Noriyuki asks.

Ken ignores him. "Tainaka's not coming tonight, is she?"

Mio shakes her head.

Ken sighs. "Go home—or wherever Tainaka is—and apologise."

"Can someone tell me what the hell's going on?" Noriyuki demands.

Ken continues to ignore him. "Are you going then?"

Mio sluggishly stands up. "Yeah, um, the practice—"

"One practice isn't gonna hurt. Actually, we found someone who can fill as bassist permanently."

Mio gives a good look at her surroundings this time. All the instruments are covered and the wires are placed in the box. "Oh," she says finally. She then smiles. "So that's why."

"Thanks for playing with us. Even with such a busy schedule. It's been a pleasure."

"No, thank you. Um."

Ken nods. "We still need to find a drummer. Temp is fine for now."

Mio nods back. "I'll go get her."

Ritsu's coming home. Mio's going to make sure of that.

ooo

_Meet me at the usual place._

Ritsu slides her phone shut and continues her walk to the convenience store. Soon, the phone rings. She waits, and it's only when it rings for the third time does she pick up.

"Hello."

"Ritsu." Mio's voice is breathy, as if she has been running. Ritsu clenches her teeth at the pain in her chest. "Did you read my mail?"

"…Yeah."

"I want you there … please."

Ritsu stops walking. She looks around and notices that she's just a street away from the designated place. She's missing Mio horribly, but she doesn't miss the suffocating life she puts her in.

"Ritsu…?" Mio's voice is breaking up. Ritsu fears she's going to cry, so she hastily answers, "I'll be there."

"Thank—" There's a finishing click. Ritsu curses the lack of reception and her resolve and turns into the street.

She can't see Mio. Ritsu scans her surroundings as she reaches for the double doors. She peers through and finds that Mio isn't in the restaurant as well. She turns around. Then mentally sighs in relief. Mio's making her way towards her and, Ritsu raises her eyebrows at this, not looking nor apologising whenever she elbows someone. After she has passed the last crowd of people between them, Mio's determined stride does not slow. She marches up to Ritsu and throws her arms around her neck and captures her lips.

It barely lasts for a second before Mio's stepping back. She seems to shrink and her eyes are wavering from side to side, avoiding anything that breathes.

Ritsu gapes and glances ahead. A few people that were staring look away. Mio's trembling by now. So she takes her hand and leads them to a quieter spot.

"That," Ritsu says finally, "was surprising Mio."

Slate blue eyes are watching her now. "Please come home?"

"Kiss me again."

Mio does after a moment's hesitation. She jumps back when there's a nearby crash. They both turn towards the sound, sharing a one-sided stare at nothing in particular. Ritsu looks at Mio again. She's swallowing and looking back.

Ritsu smiles. She brushes a cluster of hair over Mio's ear and cups her cheek. Mio shakily gives a smile of her own. Then the image of determination returns.

"That's it," she says, holding Ritsu close, "I don't care any more."

Ritsu shivers as Mio takes her lips again. She wraps her arms around Mio and tilts her head. Only to shortly pull back and, surprised at how she got aroused by just a closed-mouth kiss, gasps, "Home. Now."

Mio blushingly agrees. She twines their hands together and Ritsu can't help but grin stupidly. The grin wanes as they rush through the crowds. And she mentally cries on how long she has to wait before she can properly ravish Mio without restraint.

Several agonising moments later, Mio's trying to jam the key into the lock of their apartment door. Ritsu sniggers and embraces her. Mio curses and continues to battle with the lock, so Ritsu slips a hand under the bassist's top, spraying her fingers across her stomach. She stands on her toes to nibble an ear, watching Mio squirm and desperately spin the key.

The door gapes open.

They stumble in. Ritsu slams the door shut, pushes Mio against it and makes quick removal with the familiar shirt and bra. All the while, she makes sure her mouth is constantly on Mio, melting into the kiss they've been waiting for all week and nipping and licking and sucking any freed skin.

"Who is it again?" Mio asks in between breaths. "That can't keepp … away, you said."

Ritsu works her tongue on an already hard nipple, making Mio whimper. "Want me to stop?"

A hand tangles in brown hair. "No."

Ritsu expels a breath. "Good," she says, clasping Mio's hand and holding it against the door. She outlines the seams along Mio's groin with the other. Sniggering when the hair on her scalp is pulled at and then rubbed softly in afterthought, she continues.

"Ritsu," comes the whine.

The brunette straightens up for a kiss. "I'm gonna make you beg," she murmurs, prolonging her hold on Mio's lower lip, "and you know that."

Mio juts her hips forward and Ritsu's teasing hand backs away. There's a struggle and her hair is tugged but Ritsu only spares a stroke along the seams again, earning a full-body shiver.

She kisses her neck and presses her tongue on the skin there, enjoying the erratic heartbeat. She gives another stroke. Mio's head rolls back and hits the door, making Ritsu stop to see if she's okay. There's another tug at her hair so she continues, doing the whole cycle again and again, with more kisses and touches at each iteration. It's when her scalp is screaming, and Mio's moaning and writhing does she pause. She fiddles with the pants one-handily. There's an impatient growl, making Ritsu slow her efforts and take her time.

"Just freaking do it already!"

Ritsu thumbs over a painfully stiff nipple and, hearing a hissed _please_, decides to give mercy.

She feels a bit guilty as she pulls the last, clinging clothing off, so she quickly slides a finger in. Biting her lip at the answered groan and how intensely warm and wet Mio is, she adds another and moves.

Mio grabs Ritsu by the shoulders and pulls her up for a bruising kiss. Ritsu's fingers curl up, rubbing against a spot—that never fails to make Mio gasp—back and forth. No more teases and taunts. Just back and forth until Mio's shivering and panting at her neck. And Ritsu's thumb is back on that nipple, flicking and pressing it, hearing her name as Mio shudders and comes.

Ritsu leans close. She has an arm around Mio, keeping her from falling. "Should've waited 'til we reached the futons, huh?" she whispers with a smile, watching Mio slowly recover.

"Huh…?"

"The futons."

Mio smiles sheepishly. "No."

"What? But I'm—"

"I didn't forget," Mio elaborates before she kisses her.

When they finally part, Ritsu smirks and speaks as best as she can. "Next would be the kitchen, huh?"

Mio exhales a laugh. "In your dreams, Ritsu. The floor is dirty."

"And the tiles are cold. So—" Her breath hitches. A hand is over her groin, palming and relieving the terrible ache Ritsu's been trying to tolerate. She quickly finds herself in Mio's place. Her back is against the door and Mio's breathing life onto her neck, making it feel as if her heart is jumping to and fro. She arches against Mio's hand, beating and trembling.

Ritsu's clothes are quickly taken off but she still whimpers at the loss of contact. She presses her body against Mio's and, burying her nose in dark hair, breathes out, "Do it hard Mio."

"Huh? !" Mio's exclamation is squeezed in a whisper.

Ritsu starts to grind, impatient at Mio's stillness. "I said—"

"I heard you! I—are you sure?"

"Yes," Ritsu groans. She groans again when she feels fingers shove inside her, and there's a pause before her clit is forcibly rubbed. She whimpers mid-moan and shivers, her arms looping around Mio's neck lest her legs give out. Mio fumbles for a bit before she falls into a rhythm that Ritsu quite likes. And she tries her best to last, holding back whenever she's close. But the pleasure seems to impossibly build each time that soon it hits her so hard, she's blinded as every nerve burns and numbs.

When she comes to, she's sprawled on top of Mio and they're lying on the floor. There are invisible, drawn circles cooling on her back and Ritsu smiles.

"Did I hurt you?" Mio whispers.

"Nope, I'm—"

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes_, so stop worrying."

"But, I … I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for hurting you."

Ritsu blinks, realising that Mio's bringing up the subject she's been avoiding for years. She closes her eyes, wondering why it has to happen when she's too gone to think.

"Mum knows, well your mum told her but, um, she wants us to visit the weekend after. So, I'll … I'll tell Dad then. And the guys know too, so, I-I…."

Ritsu melts. Mio's stammering and brave, and she's being too adorable that she kisses her lightly.

"Be right next to me?" Mio murmurs, her voice wavering, "When I tell him?"

Ritsu rests her forehead against Mio's. She stares at determined eyes. "Of course," she says simply.

ooo

Ritsu flings her arm towards the alarm clock and slams its snooze button. She hums contently and places her arm back at Mio's waist.

"Wah time issert?" Mio mumbles.

"Dunno. Don't care."

There's a pause before Mio sits up. "It's Thursday!"

Ritsu pulls her back down. "Just five more minutes," she mutters. Smiling when Mio does listen to her, she adds, "Today's gonna be fun."

"How come? I thought you hate work."

"Yeah, that's why I'm gonna be busy fantasising. Us doing it on the dining table."

Mio snorts. "You make it sound like it's a new thing."

"It is a new thing," Ritsu points out.

Mio stares at her with flushed cheeks. "Really?" she deadpans.

"Uh huh. We haven't done it doggie-style." Ritsu bites her cheek as she watches Mio's ears go red. She must not laugh.

"Can we not do that 'til two weeks later?"

"Why? Scared you'd remember as we eat dinner with the folks?"

Mio gives a glare that quickly withers.

"I dunno if I can wait that long, Mio. What happens if we do it on a table that isn't ours?"

Mio becomes pale. "Don't you dare!"

Ritsu simply can't take it any more and guffaws. "I'm kidding!"

Moments later, the clock irritatingly buzzes. This time Ritsu turns it off. But her main source of warmth is getting up to dress. She grumbles and remembers. "Stop using my shirts. You always stretch them."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"I'm saying your boobs are big."

"If it was possible, I'd give them to you since you love them so much."

"Nah, I wouldn't accept them. It'd be weird if I touched them 24/7."

"You _do_ touch them 24/7."

"C'mere so I can prove you right."

Mio laughs and waves her away. "I need to use the toilet."

"Number 1?"

"Yup."

Ritsu folds her arms under her head. "Then c'mere. You can hold it, can't you?" Mio raises an eyebrow so she adds with a smirk, "We haven't done that, have we?"

The eyebrows shoot up and she's smacked by a pillow.

"No way are we doing that!"

Ritsu laughs. She tried.

ooooo

_End_

**A/N: ***ahem*

Uh, anyway, I had meant to make this T/PG-13, really, but, yeah … I blame Ritsu. :D It's completely her fault.

If you were expecting coming out drama—expect them in my other fics. =3 If I don't chicken out. I don't like writing drama concerning those situations much. And this is _K-ON!_ damnit—where it's all fluffy and sweet and everyone accepts you even if you're an airhead. (Sad excuse, I know.)

_Special_  
ooooo

"What happened last week?" Noriyuki asks.

Ken ignores him. "Tainaka's not coming tonight, is she?"

Mio smirks. "Oh she will. I'll make sure of that."

ooooo

*runs*


End file.
